It will consist of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces.
Parallel translations
- WEB It shall have two shoulder straps joined to the two ends of it, that it may be joined together.
- KJV It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.
- BSB It shall have two shoulder pieces attached at two of its corners, so it can be fastened.
- NKJV It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together.
- NASB It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, so that it may be joined.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The ephod had two shoulder straps joining its front and back pieces together. These straps held the garment as one and bore the shoulder stones.
Overview
The two shoulder pieces united the ephod and would later carry the onyx stones engraved with Israel's tribes. The shoulders, a place of strength and bearing burdens, fit their purpose of upholding the people's names. This anticipates Christ, who bears His people upon His shoulders, carrying them before God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Exod 39:4They made shoulder straps for it, joined together. At the two ends it was joined together.
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 28:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.